It’s Friday. Thank God, right? I’m 100% on the struggle bus this morning after foolishly trying to reintroduce the 5AM wake-up habit the week of Daylight Savings Time. Seriously, what is wrong with me? I’m already dreaming of climbing into bed tonight at 8PM happy as a clam. #judgenot

Since it’s Friday, I thought it was a good time to encourage you to reflect on your week. How’d it go? What were your wins? Where do you feel like you could have done better? Are you still left with a crazy long todo list because the week was total mayhem? Sadly, that’s been me on more than one occasion. And a trend I noticed about those weeks that left me feeling overwhelmed & underproductive is that on those weeks, I went in on defense, not offense.

Uh, Joey. What? We’re talking about our work weeks here, not football.

I know, I know. But here’s the deal. I want you to think back over your week and tell me if you think you handled it defensively or offensively. Did you let things come in at you every which way, totally derailing any promise of true productivity? Or did you go in not with just an action plan but with the necessary boundaries in place to get your shit done?

Listen, having a todo list is great. In fact, I’m a big fan of any kind of list. Seriously, give me all the pens and notebooks and planners and all the things.

But what if I told you having a todo list is only one step in a multi-step process to productivity?

Knowing what you need to do is half the battle. But you also need to know when you’re going to do it. And you need to protect that time.

Boundaries you need to protect your productivity:

Keep your planning time sacred. (Always, no matter what.)

The biggest mistake I used to make was that I allowed my planning time to get bumped off my todo list. In fact, anything that could be deemed “preparation” or “organization” would often times get the nix when the client requests would start rolling in. While I liked preparing, planning and organizing, I was easily convinced that it was a waste of time. It is absolutely necessary to plan, prepare and organize your week if you want to go into your week on the offense.

This time is as non-negotiable as a client proposal or presentation. Treat it as such. Make a date with yourself and show up. This is a great opportunity to take yourself to your favorite coffee shop or cafe and plug some headphones in. This doesn’t have to be during the week, either. I do my planning for the week on Saturday mornings. This might sound crazy—but it’s relaxing to me and allows for me to enjoy the rest of my weekend knowing the week ahead is mapped out.

Set appointments with yourself. (And keep them.)

Okay, remember that todo list we talked about? Here’s where that comes back into play. Every task on your to-do list is just a wish until you give it a designated space on your calendar. Just like you would schedule out a client meeting or doctor’s appointment, you’re going to do the same thing for every task on your list. You and your team need to get to a place of understanding that scheduled time on your calendar is untouchable.

Understandably, some level of flexibility is to be expected here. But reserve flexibility for when it’s absolutely necessary. Set boundaries around your scheduled appointment times with whomever you share your calendar with. Make sure they understand to treat blocked off project time just the same as they would a client intake meeting.

Do what works for you. (And don’t let anyone bully you into abandoning your methods.)

I am an enormous believer in the theory that you should always be learning, and you should always be willing to try new things. But when it comes to something as personal and important as productivity, you have to do what works for you. Someone may tell you they have a better method for you—definitely give it a try if it sounds appealing–but here’s the deal. What I’ve come to learn is if you don’t stick with what works for you, you’ll lose your productivity.

Sure, there may be better methods for efficiency, but that’s a different conversation. I have to listen to instrumental music while I work to keep my momentum going. You may have to listen to Hard Rock. In fact, I have a friend in town right now, and we’re co-working in my little office as I type this out. She straight up told me my music would put her to sleep. What works for one may not work for another. Feel out your own methods and stick to your guns.

Shut down distractions. (All of them. I mean it.)

I know. You’re glued to your phone. Every email is important. Every phone call could be business changing. I get it. But guess what else is business changing? Getting your work done and not feeling like you’re about to have a nervous breakdown. Shut. The. Distractions. Down. Put your phone on DND and place it in another room.

Close out your email. If you have a Mac—you can put your computer on DND, too. (Click the taskbar looking icon in the top right corner and select Notifications. Scroll all the way to the top and select Do Not Disturb.) Another great option here is a program called Cold Turkey. I know I’m not the only one tempted by all the socials when I’m supposed to be focused on a task. Cold Turkey is great because it’ll block out certain apps or websites for a period of time that you select without shutting down your internet browser altogether.

Say no.